Main Survey Results ●
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By Alina Niemann, Belén Muñoz, Ilayda Şarlak Support by Inte Gloerich, Lucia Dossin, Margreet Riphagen
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Assigned by De Persgroep Nederland 22 nd June 2016
Introduction Within Within this this five five months months project, project, we we have have been been working working on on aa challenge challenge formulated formulated by by De De Persgroep, Persgroep,aaDutch Dutchmedia mediabrand. brand.As Asaatraditional traditional print print publisher, publisher, De De Persgroep Persgroep isis struggling struggling to to build build aa relationship relationship with with their their millennial millennial online online readers, readers, i.e. i.e. readers readers that that access access the the newspaper newspaper website website via via aa direct direct article article link, link, read read the the article article and and directly directly leave leave again again without without further further engagement. engagement. This This issue issue was was translated translated into into the the task task to to develop develop aa strategy strategy to to turn turn these these one-time one-time online online news news readers, readers, coming coming from from article article links links shared shared on on social social media, media, into into loyal loyal readers. readers. We We termed termed this this project project “Transforming “Transforming Hit Hit && Run Run Millennials”, Millennials”, focusing focusing on on the the target target group group of of young young online online readers, readers, age age 18 18 to to 35, 35, using using mobile mobile phones phones and and social social media. media. Our Our research research question question then thenwas: was:
How Howto tobuild buildaasustainable sustainablerelationship relationshipwith withone one time time article article readers readers of of online online news news sites sites (18 (18 -- 35 35 years years old) old) originating originating from from social social media media platforms? platforms? There There are are different different approaches approaches to to this this task, task, but but on on the the basis basis of of an an initial initial research research and and our our interests interests and and skills, skills, we we decided decided to to focus focus on on developing developing aa UX/UI UX/UI strategy strategy to to improve improve readers readers engagement. engagement. In In five five sprints sprints we we approached approached the the task taskby by first first conducting conducting research researchinto intothe thefield fieldof of online online publishing, publishing, investigating investigating the the preferences preferences of of the the target target group group by by conducting conducting aa survey, survey, creating creating prototypes prototypes and and doing doing iterative iterative usability usability tests tests that that led led to to our our final final prototype. prototype. We We developed developed aa concrete concrete strategy strategy for for improved improved reader reader engagement engagement by by creating creating aa prototype prototype that that illustrates illustrates an an exemplifying exemplifying news news article article page page UX/UI UX/UIdesign. design.
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The prototype
Millennials mostly use smartphones or desktop computers to access news sites They generally follow the news Preferred time of reading: morning and evening Mainly read on public transportation, at work / school Majority does not have a news subscription Prefer clean and simple designs, serif fonts while reading online news Use Whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook to share news articles, but do not do this often They usually read the comment section on the news site but do not comment themselves
Img 2: Prototype article page
The Design Process We We first first sketched sketched out out different different ideas ideas on on paper, paper, thinking thinking about about specific specific design design elements elements that that influence influence the the readers readers engagement engagement with with aa news news brand brand and and can can contribute contribute to to the the relationship. relationship. After After aaselection selection process process we we constructed constructedaarough rough wire wire frame frame In In order order to to further further streamline streamline our our ideas, ideas, we we created created aa customer customer journey, journey, thinking thinking through through all all the the steps steps of of how how the the readers readers can can engage engage with with the the specific specific features features and and functions functions we we came came up up with. with. In In an an iterative iterative design design process process we we further further developed developed the the concept, concept, creating creatingclickable clickableprototypes prototypesin inorder orderto toconduct conduct usability usability tests. tests. The The evaluation evaluation of of the the usability usability tests tests informed informed our our further further design design decisions decisions which whichresulted resultedin inthe theprototype prototypewhich whichillustrates illustrates our our UX/UI UX/UI concept concept in in the the form form of of an an news news article articlepage. page.
Img 1: Stages in the relationship of a reader with an online news site/news title
Img 3: Personal explore page
Img 4: News update feature
UI/UX elements
Conclusion
Article Article reading reading isis specifically specifically adjusted adjusted to to mobile mobile devices devices through through horizontally horizontally swipeable swipeablearticle articlecards cards(Img (Img2) 2) ● Interaction messages ● Interaction messages appear appear based based on on reader's reader's behavior behavior and and trigger trigger reader reader engagement engagement by by requiring requiring to to 'login 'login on on Facebook', Facebook', 'a'answer nswer aa question' question' or or 'a'accept ccept cookies' cookies' ● Simple and clean design inspired by mobile ● Simple and clean design inspired by mobile apps appsisisadjusted adjustedto tomillennial millennialpreferences preferences ● Comment section is directly related to the ● Comment section is directly related to the article article and and easily easily accessible accessible Tweets Tweets of of important important voices voices support support community community engagement engagement ● Content ● Content structured structured in in topics topics containing containing folders folders with with article article collections collections offers offers an an intuitive intuitivestructure structure ● Functions as 'Year in News', 'Personalized ● Functions as 'Year in News', 'Personalized News News Updates' Updates' or or 'Personal 'Personal Explore' Explore' require require registration registrationand andenhance enhanceengagement engagement(Img (Img3,3, 4) 4) ● Sharing options are in direct reach for the ● Sharing options are in direct reach for the user useron onthe thearticle articlepage page ● ‘Listen to ● ‘Listen to article’ article’ (Img (Img 2) 2) offers offers the the possibility possibility to to listen listen to to the the text, text, allowing allowing to to consume consume news news also alsowhen when riding riding aabike bike or or on on public publictransportation transportation
The The task task of of building building aa relationship relationship between between millennial millennialonline onlinenews newsreaders readersand andaanews newsbrand brand isis complex complex and and there there are are different different elements elements (marketing, (marketing,branding, branding,copy copywriting writingetc.) etc.)that thatcan can contribute contribute to to this. this. In In this this project project we we attempted attempted to to contribute contribute to to this this task task by by creating creating aa UI/UX UI/UX concept concept that that on on the the one one hand hand isisaimed aimed to to match match the the design design preferences preferences of of millennials millennials and and on on the the other other hand hand isis adjusted adjusted to to the the affordances affordances of of aa smartphone. smartphone. We We included included specific specific features features and and functions functions aimed aimed to to engage engage the the readers readers in in the the different differentstages stagesof ofaarelationship relationshipbetween betweenreaders readers and and aa news news site site (img (img 1). 1). We We specifically specifically attempted attempted this this by by including including aa personalized personalized news news updates updatesfeature, feature, interaction interactionmessages messagesand andaa'Year 'Year in inNews' News'option. option.
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View the complete prototype on Github: https://github.com/DigitalPublishingToolkit/transforming-hitand-run-millennials
Read the detailed project documentation on our blog: http://www.publishinglab.nl/transforminghnrmillennials/
Acknowledgements Special Special thanks thanks to to L.L. Dossin, Dossin, I.I. Gloerich, Gloerich, M. M. Riphagen Riphagen && F.F. Escobar Escobar Vega Vega for for their their support support and and professional professional advice. advice. We We also also thank thank De De Persgroep Persgroep for for the the interesting interesting input input throughout throughout the theproject, project,the the participants participantsin in the the usability usability tests tests and andthe therest restof ofthe thestaff stafffrom fromthe thePublishingLab. PublishingLab.